Dick Clair

Dick Clair
Born Richard Jones
(1931-11-12)November 12, 1931
San Francisco, California, U.S.
Died December 12, 1988(1988-12-12) (aged 57)
Los Angeles, California, U.S.
Cause of death Multiple AIDS-related infections
Resting place Cryopreserved at Alcor Life Extension Foundation
Years active 1972–1987
Awards Emmy Award for Best Writing in Variety or Music
for The Carol Burnett Show (1974, 1975, 1978)

Dick Clair (November 12, 1931 – December 12, 1988) was an American television producer, actor and television and film writer, best known for the television sitcoms It's a Living, The Facts of Life, and Mama's Family.

Early life

Clair was born Richard Jones in San Francisco, California. He served in the military for two years from 1955 to 1957. He never married or had children.[1]

Career

In the early 1970s, Clair performed husband-and-wife comedy routines for The Ed Sullivan Show and The Dean Martin Show with his writing partner Jenna McMahon.[1] Clair was a screenwriter for episodes of The Mary Tyler Moore Show and The Bob Newhart Show[2] in addition to his Emmy Award winning writing for the comedy-variety TV program The Carol Burnett Show.[3] With Jenna McMahon he wrote and produced the television sitcoms It's a Living, The Facts of Life, and Mama's Family.

Cryonics involvement

Clair was active as an early member of the Cryonics Society of California in the 1960s. In 1982 he contributed $20,000 to the cryonics organization Trans Time so that a husband and wife could remain cryopreserved in liquid nitrogen. He was diagnosed with AIDS in 1986. When he was hospitalized in 1988 he faced opposition from the hospital and the State of California concerning his desire for cryonics treatment.[1] The ensuing court battle (Roe v. Mitchell, with Clair as "John Roe") ended victoriously, establishing the legal right of persons to be cryonically preserved in the state of California.[4][5][6]

Death

Clair died on December 12, 1988, of multiple AIDS-related infections at the age of 57.[7] He was cryopreserved at the Alcor Life Extension Foundation.[8]

References

  1. 1 2 3 Perry, PhD, Michael (1999). "Dick Jones" (PDF). Cryonics (Alcor Life Extension Foundation) 20 (2): 33–35.
  2. ↑ "Dick Clair:Overview". MSN Movies. Retrieved 2008-08-21.
  3. ↑ "Awards for Dick Clair". Emmy Awards. The Internet Movie Database. Retrieved 2008-08-21.
  4. ↑ Aurelio Munoz, Superior Court Judge (October 25, 1990). "Case No. C 697 147" (PDF). Library. Alcor Life Extension Foundation. Retrieved 2008-08-22.
  5. ↑ Mondragon, Carlos (November 1990). "A Stunning Legal Victory for Alcor". Library. Alcor Life Extension Foundation. Retrieved 2008-08-22.
  6. ↑ Justice Gates (June 10, 1992). "Mitchell v. Roe Decision". Library. Alcor Life Extension Foundation. Retrieved 2008-08-22.
  7. ↑ Kunen, James S.; Moneysmith, Marie (July 17, 1989). "Reruns Will Keep Sitcom Writer Dick Clair on Ice—indefinitely". People. Retrieved 2009-02-28.
  8. ↑ Appel, Ted (December 12, 1988). "Body Frozen at a Cryonics Laboratory...". Prevention News Update. United Press International. Retrieved 2008-08-21.

External links

Dick Clair at Find a Grave

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